Method and machine for forming



" Feb. 7, 1939.

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR FORMING WTRE HANGERS Filed Aug. '23, 1957 Zinnentors 3 (Ittorneg a s. SIMMONS ET AL I 46,035

Patented Feb. 7, 1939 PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND' MACHINE FOR. FORMING WIRE HANGERS Stanley Simmons and Cecil McKeen, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Cleaners Hanger Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application August 23,

13 Claims.

This invention relates to methods and machines for forming garment hangers, and particularly for forming garment hangers of approximately the type disclosed by United States Patent No. 2,070,673, issued February 16, 1937, to

J. H. Moore.

The patent identified relates to a garment hanger comprised of a single length of wire, end portions of which are intertwisted to form a shank, such portions projecting in parallelism from the shank to jointly form a supporting hook, whereof the point substantially coincides with the ends of the wire.

Inthe manufacture of such hanger, the formation of the hook is preferably the final operation, being accomplished immediately after the aforementioned end portions have been intertwisted. It has been found, however, that the twisting operation tends to leave the hook-forming portions of the wire at a slight but objectionable divergency, and it is the object of the present invention to provide a simple method and means for eliminating such divergency, preliminary to formation of the hook.

. An object of the invention is to correct an initial divergency of two hook-forming portions of a wire hanger, which portions extend from interconnected ends thereof, by interposing an insert between said ends, bending said portions against the insert into substantial parallelism, and withdrawing the insert.

'A further object is to provide two members reciprocatory to and from the divergent hookforming portions, one such member carrying an insert and being adapted to engage the same between the divergent portions, in proximity to their juncture, and the other applying a pressure to said portions to bend them against the insert into substantial parallelism.

These and various other objects are attained by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the hanger to be formed, primarily disclosing the hook and shank thereof.

Fig. 2 is a relatively transverse view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a pair of recipro- 59 catory members employed to correct divergency ofthe hook-forming portions of the wire, said members being shown relatively retracted.

Fig.4 is a similar view, showing said members in their work-engaging position.

M Fig. 5 is an elevational view of said members,

1937, Serial No. 160,362

corresponding to Fig. 4, and partially in section, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an end View of the insert-carrying member, as engaged with the hook-forming portions of the work.

In these views the reference character I designates the body of a wire garment hanger, having a supporting hook 2 and a shank 3 attaching the hook to said body. The shank is formed by intertwisting two lengths of wire projecting from the body I, and the hook is formed from substantially parallel portions d, of said lengths, extending beyond the shank, and having free ends coincident with the point of the hook, as best appears in Fig. 2. Upon completion of the twisting operation, said lengths are straight, but occupy the acutely divergent relation, shown in dash lines in Fig. 6. To eliminate this divergency, a pair of members 5 and 6 are reciprocatory to and from the portions 4 at opposite sides thereof, the memher 5 being disposed at a slightly higher level than the member ii, so that the forward ends of the two members may overlap in their work-engaging position, as best appears in Fig. 5. The member 5 carries, at its front end, a pin '1, secured preferably in a suitable socket of such member, as by a set screw 1a, and projecting forwardly from the latter, its free end being wedge-shaped to facilitate its" entrance between the members 4. An approximately V-shaped notch in the front end of the member 5 forms a pair of edges 8 converging toward said pin, to deflect the portions 4 against the pin as the latter is inserted between such portions. A similar notch forms convergent edges 9 at the front end of the member 6, similarly serving to urge the portions 4 toward each other. At the apex of each described notch, there is formed a rectangular pocket HJ, proportioned to snugly accommodate the portions 4, in a side-by-side relation.

In operation of the described mechanism, the members 5 and 6 are advanced to engage the portions 4, the partially formed hanger being so supported that said portions project downwardly in the paths of said members, the twisted shank 3 being slightly above such paths. The thrusts exerted by said members in their directions of advancement neutralize each other, so that there is no bending of the portions 4 in either of said directions. The edges 8 and 9 of the two notches act to correct the divergency of the portions 4, the edges 8 pressing said portions firmly against the pin 1, and the edges 9 bending said portions against such pin into substantial parallelism. The rectangular pockets l0 lie one above the other, as the members 5 and 6 complete their work-engaging travel, and jointly maintain the desired side-by-side relation of the portions 4. It will be noted that, as the insert 1 enters between the portions 4, consequent spreading of said portions is resisted by the opposed walls of the pockets it, and that as the members 5 and 6 engage said portions, the opposed components of their forces are neutralized, while the remaining components of such forces act to bend the portions t against the insert and into substantial parallelism.

Having accomplished their purpose, the members 5 and 6 are retracted, and the hanger is then completed by bending the portions 4 to hook form by any suitable mechanism.

The considerable resiliency of the wire used in forming the illustrated type of hanger creates difficulty in correcting the divergency of the portions 4, the latter having a tendency to spring back to their divergent relation, if parallelism is established in any obvious manner. Such tendency, however, is fully overcome by employmerit of the described mechanism and method.

The invention is presented as including all such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the following claims.

What we claim is:

1. In the production of a wire garment hanger having a supporting hook and a shank carrying such hook, the shank being formed of two intertwisted lengths of wire and the hook being formed of substantially parallel portions of such lengths, extending from the shank and having free ends substantially coincident with the hook point, the method of correcting a divergency of the hook-forming portions, preliminary to forming the hook, consisting in interposing an insert between the connected ends of the. divergent portions, bending said portions against the insert into substantial parallelism, and withdrawing the insert.

2. In the production of a wire garment hanger having a supporting hook and a shank carrying such hook, the shank being formed of two intertwisted lengths of wire and the hook being formed of substantially parallel portions of such lengths, extending from the shank and having free ends substantially coincident with the hook point, the method of correcting a divergency of the hook-forming portions, preliminary to forming the hook, consisting in interposing an insert between the divergent portions, in proximity to their juncture, and simultaneously applying pressure to said portions at opposite sides of the insert to engage said portions with the insert, bending the portions against the insert into substantial parallelisnnand withdrawing the insert.

3. In the production of a wire garment hanger having a supporting hook and a shank carrying such hook, the shank being formed of two intertwisted lengths of wire and the hook being formed of substantially parallel portions of such lengths, extending from the shank and having free ends substantially coincident with the hook point, the method of correcting a divergency of the hook-forming portions, preliminary to forming the hook, consisting in confining the divergent portions, in proximity to their juncture, between substantially opposed members, and interposing between said portions an insert carried by one of such members, the other of such members acting to bend said portions against the insert, into substantial parallelism.

A. In a machine for forming a wire garment hanger having a supporting hook and a shank carrying such hook, the shank being formed of two intertwisted lengths of wire and the hook being formed of substantially parallel portions of such lengths, extending from the shank and having free ends substantially coincident with the hookpoint, a mechanism for correcting a divergency of the hook-forming portions, preliminary to forming the hook, comprising an insert, actuable between the divergent portions in proximity to their juncture, and means for bending said portions against the insert into substantial parallelism.

5. In a machine for forming a wire garment hanger having a supporting hook and a shank carrying such hook, the shank being formed of two intertwisted lengths of wire and the hook being formed of substantially parallel portions of such lengths, extending from the shank and having free ends substantially coincident with the hook point, a mechanism for correcting a divergency of the hook-forming portions, preliminary to forming the hook, comprising an insert actuable from one side of the divergent portions to a position between such portions, in proximity to their juncture, and a member movable to and from said portions, at the other side thereof, for bending such portions against the insert into substantial parallelism.

6. In a machine for forming a wire garment hanger having a supporting hook and a shank carrying such hook, the shank being formed of two intertwisted lengths of wire and the hook.

being formed of'substantially parallel'portions of such lengths, extending from the shank and having free ends substantially coincident with the hook point, a mechanism for correcting a divergency of the hook-forming portions, preliminary to forming the hook, comprising a pair of members reciprocatory to and from said portions, at opposite sides thereof, one of said mem bers carrying an insert for engagement between said portions, in proximity to their juncture, and the other being effective on both of said portions to bend them against the insert, into substantial parallelism,

7. Ina machine for forming a wire garment hanger having. a supporting hook and a shank carrying such hook, the shank being formed of two intertwisted lengths of wire'and the hook being formed of substantially parallel portions of such lengths, extending from the shank and having free ends substantially coincident with the hook point, a mechanism for correcting a divergency of the hook-forming portions, preliminary to forming the hook, comprising a member reciprocatory to and from said portions and carrying an insert engageable between such portions, in proximity to their juncture, and reciprocatory meansfor bending said portions against liminary to forming the hook, comprising a member reciprocatory to and from said portions and carrying an insert engageable between said por- I tions, and'formedwith edges converging toward the insert to deflect said portions against themsert, and coacting means for bending said portions against the insert into substantial parallelism.

9. In a machine for forming a wire garment hanger having a supporting hook and a shank carrying such hook, the shank being formed of two intertwisted lengths of wire and the hook being formed of substantially parallel portions of such lengths, extending from the shank and having free ends substantially coincident with the hook point, a mechanism for correcting a divergency of the hook-forming portions, preliminary to forming the hook, comprising two members oppositely reciprocatory to and from said portions, in proximity to their juncture, one of said members carrying an insert engageable between said portions, and the other having convergent edges for deflecting said portions toward each other and bending them against the insert into substantial parallelism.

10. In a machine for forming a wire garment hanger having a supporting hook and a shank carrying such hook, the shank being formed of two intertwisted lengths of wire and the hook being formed of substantially parallel portions of such lengths, extending from the shank and having free ends substantially coincident with the hook point, a mechanism for correcting a divergency of the hook-forming portions, preliminary to forming the hook, comprising two members reciprocatory to and from said portions, at opposite sides thereof, one of said members carrying an insert engageable between said portions, and being formed with edges converging toward the insert to deflect said portions against the insert, the other of said members having convergent edges for deflecting said portions toward each other and bending them against the insert into substantial parallelism, the axes of reciprocation of said members being relatively spaced, lengthwise of the hook-forming portions to permit said members to partially overlap, in engaging the hook-forming portions.

11. In the production of a wire garment hanger having a supporting hook and a shank carrying such hook, the shank being formed of two intertwisted lengths of wire and the hook being formed of substantially parallel portions of such lengths, extending from the shank and having free ends substantially coincident with the hook point, the method of correcting a divergency of the hook-forming portions, preliminary to forming the hook, consisting in interposing an insert between the connected ends of the divergent portions while resisting consequent spreading of said portions, and bending said portions toward and against each other in close proximity to the insert, to establish substantial parallelism of said portions.

12. In the production of a wire garment hanger having a supporting hook and a shank carrying such hook, the shank being formed of two intertwisted lengths of wire and the hook being formed of substantially parallel portions of such lengths, extending from the shank and having free ends substantially coincident with the hook point, the method of correcting a divergency of the hookforming portions, preliminary to forming the hook, consisting in imposing opposed forces on the connected ends of the divergent portions, such forces having mutually neutralized components acting toward each other, and. having components jointly effective on said connected ends to establish the divergent portions in substantial parallelism and close proximity.

13. In a machine for forming a wire garment hanger having a supporting hook and a shank carrying such hook, the shank being formed of two intertwisted lengths of wire and the hook being formed of substantially parallel portions of such lengths, extending from the shank and having free ends substantially coincident with the hook point, a mechanism for correcting a divergency of the hook-forming portions, preliminary to forming the hook, comprising two members, one reciprocatory toward the other to engage said portions, one of said members carrying an insert engageable between said portions, and one of said members having convergent edges for deflecting said portions toward each other and bending them against the insert into substantial parallelism, each of said members being formed with a pocket to accommodate said portions, and said members being adapted to lap each other, in engaging the hook-forming portions, so as to jointly confine such portions.

STANLEY SIMIVIONS. CECIL MCKEEN. 

